Drawing Cartoons & Comics for Dummies

Table of contents

- Drawing Cartoons & Comics FOR Dummies® (Page 3)
- About the Author (Page 5)
- Dedication (Page 7)
- Acknowledgments (Page 7)
- Contents at a Glance (Page 9)
- Table of Contents (Page 11)
- Introduction (Page 19)
- About This Book (Page 19)
- Conventions Used in This Book (Page 19)
- What You’re Not to Read (Page 20)
- Foolish Assumptions (Page 20)
- How This Book Is Organized (Page 20)
- Icons Used in This Book (Page 22)
- Where to Go from Here (Page 22)
- Part I: Drawing Inspiration: Getting Started with Cartoons and Comics (Page 23)
- Chapter 1: The Skinny on Cartoons and Comics (Page 25)
- Understanding the Different Genres (Page 26)
- Getting Started with Drawing (Page 28)
- Peering into the Future of Cartoons (Page 30)
- Chapter 2: Looking at the Different Cartooning Genres (Page 33)
- Getting Funny with the Standard: Comic Strips (Page 34)
- Making Readers Think: Editorial Cartoons (Page 41)
- Sophisticated Humor: Gag Cartoons (Page 44)
- Web Cartooning (Page 49)
- Chapter 3: Getting Your Workspace Ready to Go (Page 51)
- Searching for a Workspace (Page 51)
- Setting Up Your Workspace (Page 52)
- Getting the Right Supplies (Page 57)
- Visiting the Computer Store (Page 60)
- Chapter 4: Starting with the Drawing Basics (Page 67)
- Putting Pencil to Paper (Page 68)
- Grasping the Art of Inking (Page 73)
- Creating Tone and Texture (Page 76)
- Fixing Mistakes (Page 81)
- Chapter 5: Coming Up with Ideas (Page 83)
- Getting Inspired for Storyline Ideas: Just Open Your Eyes (Page 83)
- Keeping Your Sketchbook Close By (Page 87)
- Adding Humor to Your Story Lines: Good Writing Trumps Bad Art (Page 92)
- Taking Action When the Ideas Run Dry (Page 96)
- Part II: Creating Cartoon Characters (Page 99)
- Chapter 6: Starting from the Top (Page 101)
- Drawing the Head (Page 101)
- Dotting the Eyes (Page 109)
- Just by a Nose: Sketching the Schnoz (Page 112)
- Can You Hear Me? Crafting the Ears (Page 115)
- Drawing the Mouth (Page 117)
- Getting All Emotional: Look in the Mirror (Page 121)
- Chapter 7: From the Neck Down (Page 125)
- Giving Your Characters Personality (Page 125)
- Building the Body: Drawing the Standard Character Type (Page 127)
- Drafting Arms and Hands (Page 137)
- A Leg to Stand on: Drawing Legs and Feet (Page 140)
- Deciding on Dress (Page 143)
- Chapter 8: Designing Human Cartoon Characters (Page 147)
- Understanding Why Developing a Regular Cast of Characters Is Key (Page 147)
- Creating Your Core Group (Page 148)
- Experimenting with Male Body Types (Page 151)
- Trying Different Female Body Types (Page 160)
- Creating Those Crazy Kids (Page 169)
- Chapter 9: Giving Inanimate Objects Personality (Page 177)
- Cartooning Everything, Including the Kitchen Sink (Page 178)
- Having Fun with Household Items (Page 179)
- Calling All Cars (Page 186)
- Putting a Face on an Inanimate Object (Page 193)
- Chapter 10: Exploring Anthropomorphism: Creating Animals and Other Creatures That Talk (Page 201)
- Pets Are People, Too! Drawing Classic Cartoon Animals (Page 201)
- The World Is a Zoo (Page 209)
- They Came from Outer Space (Page 215)
- Chapter 11: Drafting Editorial Cartoon Characters (Page 223)
- Defining Editorial Cartoons (Page 223)
- Understanding the Pen’s Strength: What an Editorial Cartoonist Does (Page 225)
- Finding Ideas and Forming an Opinion (Page 226)
- Setting the Scene for What You Have to Say (Page 227)
- Drafting Believable Caricatures (Page 230)
- Creating Classic Editorial Cartoon Characters (Page 235)
- Part III: Cartoon Designs 101: Assembling the Parts (Page 245)
- Chapter 12: Putting Everything in Your Comics in Perspective (Page 247)
- Grasping What Perspective Is (Page 247)
- Putting Perspective to Practical Use (Page 252)
- Putting Your Characters in Perspective (Page 258)
- Chapter 13: The Art of Lettering (Page 267)
- Preparing to Letter (Page 267)
- Making Lettering Part of the Art (Page 270)
- Going the Simple Route: Picking a Type Font (Page 274)
- Going the Hand Lettering Route (Page 275)
- Keeping Track of Your Spacing (Page 279)
- Chapter 14: Directing the Scene (Page 281)
- Eyeing the Importance of Layout (Page 281)
- Setting the Scene (Page 286)
- Part IV: Cartooning 2.0: Taking Your Cartoons to the Next Level (Page 291)
- Chapter 15: Cartooning in the Digital Age (Page 293)
- Digitally Formatting Your Drawings (Page 293)
- Getting a Grasp on Photoshop Basics (Page 299)
- Coloring and Shading in Photoshop (Page 305)
- Saving Your Work (Page 310)
- E-Mailing Your Art Files (Page 311)
- Chapter 16: Making Cartooning Your Livelihood (Page 313)
- Deciding to Go Full Time (Page 313)
- Knowing the Market (Page 316)
- Grasping How Syndication Works (Page 318)
- Creating a Winning Submission Package (Page 320)
- Dealing with the Ups and Downs (Page 321)
- Turning Your Hobby into a Business (Page 324)
- Promoting Your Work Online (Page 328)
- Part V: The Part of Tens (Page 331)
- Chapter 17: Ten Steps to a Finished Comic Strip (Page 333)
- Researching the Market (Page 333)
- Developing an Idea (Page 334)
- Composing a Theme and Main Idea (Page 334)
- Creating Your Characters (Page 335)
- Designing the Setting (Page 335)
- Writing Your Scripts (Page 336)
- Penciling It Out (Page 336)
- Slinging the Ink (Page 337)
- Lettering (Page 337)
- Scanning In Your Work (Page 338)
- Chapter 18: Ten Secrets to Breaking in to a Cartooning Career (Page 339)
- Making the Decision to Pursue Your Dreams (Page 340)
- Belonging to a Syndicate (Page 340)
- Jumping into the World of Comic Books (Page 341)
- Marketing to Greeting Card Companies (Page 342)
- Selling Your Work to Magazines (Page 342)
- Joining the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (Page 343)
- Being Part of the National Cartoonists Society (Page 344)
- Looking at the Most Popular Cartoon Site on the Web (Page 344)
- Checking Out Cartoon Blogs (Page 345)
- Reading about Cartooning (Page 345)
- Index (Page 347)